4. Alice, My friend, tell me the truth

I spent that evening reading the poetry book. The problem was I didn’t know what I was looking for. For all I knew, each poem could have a meaning. The time is not right. Find me, kiss me. Running through the night. Hunting the dusk. I was just about to shut the book when another poem caught my eye. It wasn’t listed in the contents, it was just there. Alice, my best friend, tell me the truth. I took that as my sign.

“Alice!” I said. She appeared at my door.

“Yes jazz?” she hadn’t called me Jazz in ages, I never expected her to again.

“Alice. What would you say if I told you that…Bella is still alive?”

“Jasper! Why would you say something like that?! Is it not enough that we lost her and now you’re winding me up about her! Keep your big mouth shut!”

“No Alice. This isn’t a joke. A while ago, I went into a church and that redhead was there, Victoria. She gave me a note from Bella, ordering me not to tell anyone. And since then, I’ve been seeing signs. There was a girl who looked identical to Bella; she had this poetry book written by a person called Maira Swan. I went over to her house and her name was Lela Nasbisa”

“Lela Nasbisa? Does she have a middle name?”

“Not sure. It’s written in here but it doesn’t have the whole name just the first letter. W”

“Lela W Nasbisa”

“Yes. Why?”

“Jasper, what do you know about anagrams?”

“Not much. I mean I know what they are but I don’t really care about them much”

“Lela W Nasbisa is an anagram”

“What of?” even though I could already guess.

“Isabella Swan” she whispered, “where was this person?”

“In the mall. I found an address on the note and it led me to the mall. This girl came over and told me about the poem. I kept going back and she turned up again. I went over to her flat and it smelt a lot like a vampire. I think that’s her flat mate. But she had two cats called Bella and Marie. I picked up the book and ran off. I was just trying to find out if I could find another sign. So I found this poem at the back, it wasn’t listed in the contents, and it was titled Alice, my best friend, tell me the truth. I assumed that that was my sign to tell you. I’m still not telling the others, but I think I need your help”

“Well, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do” then she burst out laughing.

“What?” I asked, startled.

“The mall? Of places for you to find a sign, Bella picked the mall? She hates shopping!” I got it, it was quite funny. In a weird way.

“Will you help me? I want to go back to the flat and sneak around. Please help Alice,” I said.

“Okay, Jazz. I will help you. But I swear, if I find out you’ve been lying to me as some sick joke, I will personally tear you limb from limb, burn you into ash, bury the ash and then blow up your grave” I gulped